Hebrews Chapter 13
Hebrews 13:1-3 “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."
The New Testament routinely identifies love for fellow Christians as evidence of a person's relationship with Christ.
In a biblical context, this kind of love implies more than an emotion. "Love" for a Christian means a sincere, selfless concern for others, exhibited in actions. In other words, the Bible calls on us to "show" love, not merely to "feel" it. Prior verses mentioned fellow believers and strangers, and here Christians are commanded to care for those in prison. This letter was written to persecuted Jewish Christians, though it pointedly notes that those originally reading the letter have not suffered as much as have other believers (Hebrews 12:4). Those who are actually being deprived of freedom, rights, or property deserve the support and sympathy of believers. |
Hebrews 13:4-6 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'
So we say with confidence,
'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?'
This chapter lists particular points on which the writer wants to encourage proper Christian behavior. These have included brotherly love (Hebrews 13:1), hospitality (Hebrews 13:2), support for the abused and imprisoned (Hebrews 13:3), and an emphasis on sexual morality (Hebrews 13:4). Other places in the New Testament echo the importance of avoiding sexual sin, given its allure and power (Romans 1:24–27). The consequences of immorality, often, are simply the natural consequences of those risky behaviors.
Here, the writer mentions another common theme of biblical morality: the danger of greed. The phrase "money is the root of all evil" is not actually biblical, since wealth can be properly used and enjoyed without sin (Romans 14:14). What the Bible does say, in 1 Timothy 6:10, is that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils." That verse notes that unhealthy desire for wealth has led to the ruin of many lives. |
Hebrews 13:7-8 “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Spiritual growth is meant to come via discipleship, which involves a more mature believer helping to grow the faith of a less-experienced Christian (Matthew 28:19–20; Ephesians 4:12–15).
This verse suggests remembering the specific spiritual leaders in our lives, and their examples, when living out the Christian life. |
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Hebrews 13:9-14 “Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, bu the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His won blood. Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
it's important to realize that the Christian faith is complete. Everything we need to know has already been revealed, even if some things we might want to know are yet to be seen (Mark 13:32; 1 John 3:2). Humanity may grow in our understanding of the truth (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:26), but truth itself does not change. As the book of Jude phrases it, this was a faith given "once for all" to the world (Jude 1:3). Jesus instructed His disciples to pass along His teachings (Matthew 28:19–20), not to develop their own. Paul sought to confirm that the gospel he preached was exactly the same as that of the disciples (Galatians 2:1–10). Paul even declared a curse—twice over—on anyone who would change that message (Galatians 1:8–9).
This leads to an important application: the first step in recognizing false doctrine. Over time, self-labelled teachers have introduced "new" interpretations of the Bible, or of God, which overturn the basics of the faith itself. Sometimes, these relate to doctrinal issues. In other cases, they are claims about changing moral principles. By their very nature, all such claims are absolutely false. Jesus Christ does not change—and neither does His gospel. God does not change—and neither does His truth (Isaiah 40:28). This doesn't mean we can't come to a better understanding. It's good to move our beliefs closer to what God actually intended (Acts 17:11). But if a "new" teaching requires us to believe the apostles and Bible writers were mistaken, that claim is subject to the curse mentioned by Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:21). |
Earlier passages noted that the physical components of the temple were really meant to symbolize the work of Jesus Christ. His suffering, on our behalf, was presented as a superior sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12), given in a superior place (Hebrews 9:24), with superior results (Hebrews 9:25–26). The writer also pointed out, extensively, Old Testament Scriptures predicting God's intent to provide this new covenant, rather than to rely on a system of animal sacrifice (Hebrews 8:6–8). Those who insist on pursuing salvation through the old covenant "have no right" to the benefits of the "altar" of the new covenant.
Prior verses reminded the readers that Jesus willingly endured shame and persecution for the sake of God's will, and the good God intended from those experiences (Hebrews 12:2). The same was true of many other heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11:35–40). As this passage continues, the writer will extend this same point using the analogy of things taken "outside" to be destroyed. Jesus was willing to be "cast out" as part of God's will, and so should Christians be willing to be shunned, persecuted, or cast out for their faith (Hebrews 13:13). Even when Christians face difficulty, this is not a sign of failure; it's often part of God's plan to grow our faith (Hebrews 12:3–11). And, persecution is expected for believers living in a fallen world (John 15:18–21). Rather than despairing when that hardship comes, or running from it, we should embrace being identified with Christ. Elsewhere in the New Testament, we're told that persecution which comes because we're so closely identified with Christ is a sign of our relationship with Him (1 Peter 4:14). |
Hebrews 13:15-16 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
Believers ought to offer a sacrifice—but one of praise, not animals or materials. Since Jesus' work on our behalf is completely finished (Hebrews 9:24–26), there is nothing we can add to it (Galatians 3:10–14). Instead, our praise and sacrifice ought to be done out of gratitude, obedience, and worship.
Those who are saved ought to be thankful and joyful (Hebrews 12:3–12). Joy should inspire good works, done for others, as an act of worship. Jesus accomplished all of the sacrifice needed to save our souls (Hebrews 9:24–26), so our sacrifice should only be out of love and praise for Him (Hebrews 13:15). |
Hebrews 13:17 “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you."
This verse reminds the reader that those in positions of spiritual leadership are held to a high standard by God. Letters such as Titus, 1 Timothy, and 2 Timothy describe the stringent requirements applied to those who claim to teach the Word of God. James 3:1 clearly points out that those who presume to teach will be held all the more accountable by God. Not only do such people know more (Hebrews 2:1–4; 10:29; Luke 12:47–48), they greatly influence others in their walk with Christ (Mark 9:42; 2 Peter 2:1–3).
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Hebrews 13:18-19 “Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon."
This verse presents a request for prayer which matches very well with the call for believers to submit to their spiritual leaders. A person truly following God, as a teacher, is not arrogant or proud (Ephesians 4:1–2). Instead, he should be humble and have the attitude of a servant (John 13:14–15). Here, the writer of Hebrews demonstrates that exact approach. After a long letter, filled with brilliant exposition of Scripture, he asks for prayer, specifically to ensure that his conduct is honorable and his conscience is clear.
The canonicity of Hebrews |
In this verse, the writer includes an appeal that his readers pray for restoration. In this case, the writer means having an ability to visit these persecuted believers once again. Wording such as this lends weight to the belief that Paul wrote this letter, since he often expressed a desire to see those to whom he wrote letters. In his case, prison and persecution often interfered with his ability to travel freely. This request is given some emphasis, as something "urged," and "the more earnestly." There is no question that the writer of this passage sincerely wishes to see his readers again.
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Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
This verse begins the formal close to this letter to persecuted Jewish Christians. The benediction offered in verses 20 and 21 echoes several of the highlights from the book of Hebrews.
We may doubt that we're capable of achieving what God is asking. Faith, however, means relying on God to provide whatever we need in order to accomplish His will. The idea that God "works in us" is key to understanding our life experiences. As stated earlier, some events in life are unhappy, but that doesn't meant they have no purpose. For the Christian believer, God's discipline and "training" are part of growing into a stronger, more capable believer (Hebrews 12:5–11). |
Hebrews 13:22-25 “Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly. I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. Greet all your leaders and all the Lord's people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. Grace be with you all."
Everything to this point in Hebrews has been part of a rich, interwoven, profound look at the meaning of the new covenant and why it is worthy of our trust. And yet, here the writer asks for patience from the readers, since he has only scratched the surface of these topics. Earlier, he had noted that there were many ideas which also needed explanation, but for which he had no time (Hebrews 5:11––6:1; 11:32). Now, the writer again acknowledges that this letter is only a brief account of these amazing truths.
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Scholars differ in their opinion of who wrote the book of Hebrews. The author most commonly attributed to this letter is the apostle Paul, and references such as this are among the reasons why. Timothy was a student and friend of Paul (1 Timothy 1:1–2) who travelled with him on his missionary journeys. Eventually, Timothy was left in charge of a series of churches, during one of Paul's terms in prison. At the end of his life, sensing his impending execution, Paul wrote his last words recorded in the New Testament, the letter of 2 Timothy.
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